Eureka Names James Clark New Head Baseball Coach

EUREKA, Ill. – James Clark has been named the new baseball head coach at
Eureka College, according to an announcement from Director of Athletics Paul
Bryant on Tuesday (August 31). A native of Victoria, Ill., Clark was formerly the
baseball head coach at Spoon River College in Canton, Ill. and was a
four-year NCAA Division III baseball student-athlete at Knox College.

"I am pleased to welcome James Clark as our new baseball head coach," Bryant
said. "Coach Clark has shown tremendous promise as a young collegiate head
coach and we're excited for the energy and dedication he will bring to
continue the improvement made by our baseball program."

Clark comes to Eureka after coaching at NJCAA Division II Spoon River for
the last two seasons. He inherited a team in August 2009 that was winless
during the 2009 season, eventually guiding Spoon River to five wins in 2010
and eight victories in 2011. During his two years as head coach, Clark led
Spoon River to victories over traditional junior college powers John Wood
and Illinois Central.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Clark was the first-base
coach for the Quincy Gems of the summer collegiate Prospect League in 2011.
Clark helped the Gems to a 40-18 overall record and a league championship.

Clark's father, John, is the baseball head coach at ROWVA High School in
Oneida, Ill. and the Oneida American Legion squad. James began his baseball
coaching career at the age of 16, assisting his father at Williamsfield
Middle School. As a college student at Knox, James coached alongside his
father with the junior and senior Oneida American Legion teams.

Clark graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. in 2009 with a B.A. in
economics and was a four-year member of the Prairie Fire's baseball team. He
was a three-time qualifier for the Midwest Conference's Academic
All-Conference Team from 2007 through 2009 and helped Knox to a Midwest
Conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA Division III national
regional in 2008.

"I am very excited to take over the Eureka baseball program," Clark said on
Tuesday. "I am grateful to Director of Athletics Paul Bryant and the rest of
the athletics staff for their faith in me. I know I have big shoes to fill,
but I plan to build upon the solid foundation that Coach Gerdes left for me.
I look forward to leading the Red Devils to new heights."

Clark takes over for Eureka College athletics Hall of Famer Craig Gerdes,
who retired last spring after two seasons as head coach.

Courtesy Eureka College sports information